PAGE 28 — THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 LOCALSOURCE.COM UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE

Cranford football isout for rare 4-0 start

By JR ParachiniSports Editor

Neither a heavy rain, a couple of critical turnovers or a brief NorthPlainfield third quarter lead was enough to deter the Cranford footballteam from reaching the 3-0 mark for the first time since 2003.

On Friday night at North Plainfield's Krausche Field, the visitingCougars posted a come-from-behind 35-20 triumph for the first 3-0 startunder seventh-year head coach Erik Rosenmeier.

Saturday at 2 p.m. at Scotch Plains, Cranford will attempt to be 4-0 forthe first time since that same 2003 season when the Cougars clash withthe host Raiders.

Scotch Plains (0-3) is seeking to avoid a second straight 0-4 start. TheRaiders are guided by 2lst-year head coach Steve Ciccotelli.

Scotch Plains has shown signs of improvement, despite its 0-3 begin-ning. After a 17-0 loss at Westfield, the Raiders were closer at homeagainst Rahway, falling 24-17 and also at Delaware Valley this past Fri-day night, downed by a final score of 27-22.

Westfield, Rahway and Delaware Valley combined for a 21-10 recordlast year, with Westfield and Rahway making the playoffs. Cranford fin-ished 6-4 a year ago in a non-playoff season.

Rosenmeier left Ciccotelli's staff at Scotch Plains to become a headcoach for the first time when he took over at Cranford in 2005.

Rosenmeier coached Cranford to wins over Scotch Plains in 2005 and2006 before Scotch Plains defeated Cranford on a Sunday night in Cran-ford in 2007.

The teams did not play in 2008. Since the formation of the Mid-State39 Conference two years ago, the teams are 1 -1 against each other as non-division opponents.

In the season-opener for both in 2009, Scotch Plains won at Cranford26-24 in the first game played on field turf at Memorial Field.

TJie teams battled at Memorial Field again last year, with Cranfordholding oil'Scotch Plains 21-14.

Cranford and Nutley are the only two undefeated teams in North 2,Group 3, with Nutley's next three games against Livingston (3-0), WestEssex (3-0) and Shabazz (2-1).

Cranford is seeking its fifth playoff season and second in North 2,Group 3. The Cougars qualified in the section for the first time in 2002.

Nutley reached the North 2, Group 3 final last year and was crushedby Morristown 40-6 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford.

Chris Hull, in his sixth season as the head coach last year, guided Mor-rislown to its first playoff championship since it previously won North 2,Group 3 in 1999. .

Hull, a 1984 Cranford graduate and former Cougar standout footballplayer, was the head coach at Cranford from 1999-2004, leading theCougars to three straight playoff seasons from 2002-2004 and tiie programto its only playoff victory, which came in 2003.

Photo by .11* 1'arachini

The Cranford football team is sparked by juniors Reggie Green (No. 7) and RyanWilliamson (No. 3). The Cougars won at North Plainfield 35-20 last Friday night togo 3-0 for the first time since 2003.

Cranford football is 3-0for first time since 2003Green scores 4 TDs to spark Cougars

Phutnby JR ParachiniCranford standout sophomore placekicker Troy Ket-tler (No. 4) made all five extra point kicks in histeam's 35-20 come-from-behind win at North Plain-field last Friday night. The holder here is sophomoreJonathan El-Khoury (No. 68).

By JR ParachiniSports Editor

NORTH PLAJNF1ELD - Cranford head coach ErikRosenmeier said two things that came true Friday night.

The first was if his football team made mistakesagainst North Plainfield it would pay for them.

The second was that his offense - although it didn'tshow it in its first two games — had big-play capabilities.

Sparked by an outstanding performance from first-year junior quarterback Reggie Green - who scoredfour touchdowns, including his first on a 60-yard runon the game's second play from scrimmage - visitingCranford went on to/post a come-from-behind 35-20win vs. North Plainfield at Krausche Field.

The Cougars also overcame giving up two touch-downs following their own turnovers while NorthPlainfield's third and final score gave the home teamCanucks a very brief third quarter lead.

Cranford, which scored the game's final 21 points, isnow 3-0 for the first time since 2003. North Plainfieldfell in its home-opener and dropped to 1-2.

Cranford also moved one step closer to qualifyingfor the playoffs for the first time since-2004 and for thefirst time in North 2, Group 3 since 2002:

"It's great to be 3-0 because there was a lot of doubtabout us," said Green, who now has seven rushingtouchdowns and has also thrown for a TD pass in theseason's first three games.

Green, who is the first Cranford quarterback to leadthe Cougars to a 3-0 start since junior Chris Drechseldid so eight years ago, found a hole up the middle andran 60 yards, untouched, into the end zone. Sophomoreplacekicker Troy Kettler's first of five point after kicksput Cranford up 7-0 just one minute in.

After holding North Plainfield to a three-and-out, Cranford lost a fumble on its second posses-sion, with Canuck junior linebacker Chris Smithrecovering. North Plainfield marched 35 yards innine plays, with senior fullback Marquis Rawlingsscoring from the two-yard line to make it 7-6. Thepoint after kick failed.

Green capped Cranford's third possession with afour-yard touchdown run as the Cougars led 14-6 atthe half. Cougar senior linebacker Anthony DaSilvamade two fine tackles on North Plainfield's final firsthalf possession.

Green lost a fumble on Cranford's first third quar-ter drive, but then North Plainfield quickly lost a fum-ble, with Cranford senior defensive linemen T.J.Nichols recovering.

Following a pass interference call and a personalfoul penalty on the same play, Cranford had a first-and-goal at the North Plainfield 12. On first down,Green ran straight ahead and got Kit at the 10.

The ball was jarred loose from his control, poppedstraight up in the air and landed in the arms of Smith,who returned it 90 yards, untouched, into the end zonefor six points.

After a two-point run failed, with Cranford juniordefensive lineman Ryan Farrell in on the tackle,Cranford's lead was now 14-12.

"I cut back and slowed up a bit," Green said of thefumble. "1 know 1 have to do a better job of holding onto the ball there."

"That was a good hit, that's the way we teach ourkids to hit," Rosenmeier said.

North Plainfield struck again on its next possession,with Rawlings getting to the outside on the right andrambling 63 yards to a go-ahead score. Sophomorequarterback Kyle Grant found an opening on the rightside for a two-point run to put the Canucks ahead by a20-14 count.

To Cranford's credit, the lead didn't last long at all.Cranford senior Eric Garguilo returned the ensuingkickoff 55 yards from his own 30 to the North Plainfield15 before he was dragged down by two tacklers.

Then on the very next play Cranford seniorrunning back Chris Witwick found an openingand sprinted for a 15-yard touchdown run to tiethe game at 20-20. JCettler's third extra point putthe Cougars ahead to stay at 21-20.

See COMEBACK, Page 29